


Cat and Crow

by Karuke



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: And can't stop making that face, First Kiss, Fluff, Kei is a snarky ass, Kuroo is a schemer, M/M, you know the one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-03
Updated: 2017-05-03
Packaged: 2018-10-27 19:08:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10814952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Karuke/pseuds/Karuke
Summary: Accidents happen, but not this frequently. Tsukishima is growing suspicious, and Kuroo has a hard time wiping that grin off his face.





	Cat and Crow

**Author's Note:**

> This one made me giggle as I wrote it. 
> 
> In terms of canon, this would fall in somewhere during the end of season two and before the beginning of season three.

The first time, at the summer training camp, it was an accident. 

Grudgingly, Tsukishima had to admit that getting roped into all the free practices had been beneficial. Staying to clean up for the others when they ran off to bathe, Tsukishima was surprised when Kuroo returned to the practice gym and helped him collect volleyballs and to lower and put away the net. They were both wheeling the net poles into storage, and in the confined space, they both turned. Their heads—their faces—collided, and when they pulled away, both of them were rubbing their chins and wincing. Tsukishima was mildly surprised that he hadn't cut the inside of his mouth on his teeth from the impact.   
Kuroo stared at him blankly for a second and then grinned. “Oi, I think Chibi-kun is getting to you. You're getting to be as clumsy as he is.”  
“We had practice matches and penalty sprints all day and then you and Bokuto-san dragged me over to help you. I think even Hinata would be tired after that.” Tsukishima merely glared.   
Walking together to retrieve the ball basket, Kuroo's grin merely turned a little more cat-like. “I don't think Chibi-kun's batteries ever run low.”  
Neither of them mentioned that in their mutual clumsiness, their lips had brushed together. 

When it happened a second time at summer camp, Tsukishima frowned. He'd been turning to walk out of the changing room when, again, Kuroo's face collided with his. He hadn't been there when Tsukishima had been dressing after his bath, and the other boy's silent movement startled Tsukishima in the split second their lips connected awkwardly and painfully. He pulled away immediately and grimaced.   
“You just keep running into me,” Kuroo grinned, not looking the slightest bit phased by the encounter.   
Tsukishima grimaced. “I think it's hard to accuse someone of running into you if you sneak up behind them without warning,” he retorted, bending to pick up the shirt he'd dropped in his surprise. He didn't notice Kuroo's movement, but when he stood again, the older boy was standing less than a foot from him, that implacable grin still in place.   
“I like sneaking up on you though,” Kuroo said, staring at Tsukishima with an expression he couldn't identify. As the silence grew and began to stretch dangerously long, Kuroo finally broke eye contact. “You know, you look weird without your glasses on.”  
Tsukishima, who had been holding his glasses to keep them from fogging on his face in the hot humidity of the bath, shrugged. “You look weird all the time, so I guess I'm still better off.”  
“Hey, be nice to your senpai,” Kuroo said, pulling his shirt over his head and folding it carefully into a basked.   
“I think that's all you have on me,” Tsukishima replied, sliding his glasses on and tilting his head back a bit to grace Kuroo with a smug grin over his shoulder. “Well, you may be shorter and uglier, but at least you're old...er.”  
“Hey! That was an unnecessarily long pause!” Kuroo called to Tsukishima's retreating back. When the younger boy was gone, Kuroo merely grinned and hummed to himself.

The third time, Tsukishima could no longer ignore the problem.   
Their last morning at camp, Tsukishima was washing his hands in the bathroom when Kuroo appeared, an eyebrow raising curiously when he spotted the lone Karasuno player. “After this it's interhigh prelims,” he said conversationally, leaning back against the wall next to the door.   
Tsukishima didn't reply as he dried his hands.   
“I think our coaches are trying to set up one last training match before then,” Kuroo continued, undeterred. He stepped sideways to block the door as Tsukishima made to leave.   
“Kuroo-san, I need to go finish packing my things,” the blonde smiled sweetly. “Unless you are going to pay my fare home when I miss the bus?”  
“Are you going to practice the blocking we taught you?”  
“When I get home I am going to erase every memory I have of you and Bokuto-san.”   
Kuroo snorted. “You so aren't cute.”  
“Neither are you.” They were face to face now, Tsukishima waiting for Kuroo to move out of his way.   
Kuroo stepped sideways again, away from the door, but as he did, one hand reached out and snagged Tsukishima's wrist. A sharp tug brought them together again, gently this time, and both boys held their breath as their lips, warm and soft, brushed together.  
Later, on the bus, Tsukishima told himself that it was shock that caused him to freeze and not pull away. In frustration, he scrubbed his mouth with his palm. Yamaguchi glanced over. “Are you okay, Tsukki?”  
“Yeah, my lips are chapped and I lost my balm. I'm fine.”

Tsukishima was almost ready for it the fourth time.  
He stood staring up at the dark sky outside the gymnasium in the cool October air as everyone began the process of packing up and Nekoma started to get together to leave. He glanced over when he heard someone headed his way. He returned to looking up at the stars as Kuroo leaned against the wall next to him. Here, the pair were just outside the perimeter of the gym's lights, and for a few minutes, both of them just stood staring upward in silence.   
Finally, Kuroo said, “You've been practicing, Tsukki! It shows.”  
“Mm.” Tsukishima didn't want to admit he'd been standing in on his brother's team's sessions.  
“Is that a yes? I genuinely can't tell with that bland face of yours.”   
Tsukishima snorted and looked over. “Of course I've been practicing.” He smirked, one eyebrow raised. “I mean, you really didn't seem to have improved much. Hit your peak, have you?”  
“Geh!” Kuroo frowned, shoving Tsukishima lightly. “I don't know why Bokuto and I bothered training you, you ingrate.”  
“It helped a lot.” The blonde stared down at his hands, inspecting them for damage. One of his nails had torn, he'd have to clip that down before it tore further.   
“Pfft!” Tsukishima looked up to see Kuroo covering his mouth, smothering laughter as he stared at his kouhai. “Is that you trying to thank me?”  
Tsukishima's eye twitched just once and immediately his face was a calm smile as he tilted his head questioningly. “Thank you for what, Kuroo-san? I don't remember you doing anything for me except forcing me to play with you and a bunch of other rowdy jerks?”  
“Psht. You're not cute you know,” Kuroo's laughter died down, leaving him with a grin. “I can't wait to wipe the floor with you at the interhighs.”  
“Oh, Kuroo-san, you are so kind to have so much faith in us that we'll get that far.”  
“You'd better get that far! I'm not the only one hoping for that match.”  
Tsukishima allowed himself a single smothered chuckled as a smirk tugged his mouth to one side. “We'll destroy you.”  
“Now, wouldn't that be nice,” Kuroo murmured, his posture relaxing as he turned to face Tsukishima.   
“Would it? I didn't know Kuroo-san was such a masochis-” Tsukishima was cut off as Kuroo leaned in.   
In his head, Tsukishima watched Kuroo approaching. This wasn't an accident, wasn't the result of any clumsiness. It was calm, planned, and direct. He was surprised, Kuroo's lips were much softer than he'd expected, and much warmer than they had any right to be in the chilly fall air. It was a second or two before his brain turned back on and reminded him that he hadn't moved away yet. His eyes snapped back into focus and there, fuzzy in his closeness, was Kuroo, eyes closed and head tilted forward just a little to meet his. Warning bells were going off in his mind that he was letting this go on for far too long and he really needed to step back now. But at the same time, his eyes were sliding closed and his head was tilting slightly, moving to fit his lips more closely to Kuroo's.   
If Kuroo was as surprised by this as Tsukishima was, he didn't show it. One hand came up to grasp at the younger boy's sleeve, gripping it tightly as he seemed to sigh into the kiss, his lips parting around a quiet breath. Shivering, Tsukishima allowed his mouth to mimic the movement and he almost thought he heard Kuroo say something as their lips moved together. They lost track of time, not sure how long they stood there together, pinning each other into a chaste, desperate kiss.   
They didn't separate until there was noise at the gym doors and Kuroo realized it was his team, getting ready to leave. Stepping back, he looked at Tsukishima, who was lightly flushed and breathing a bit heavily. He was pretty sure the glazed and pleased expression of shock on Tsukishima's face mirrored his own. Still, he couldn't stop the grin from spreading slowly as he took another step back and half turned. “Sounds like that's my cue to show up for the goodbyes. Later, Tsukki.”  
“Oi, Kuroo.”  
The older boy looked over his shoulder at the blonde still standing just outside the circle of light.   
“Don't get complacent before the prelims. I'm going to make you regret training me.”

Kuroo shivered as his team boarded the bus. The expression on Tsukki's face when he'd issued that challenge should be weaponized. It was the kind of burning passion that could make the other guy lose his composure. Still, he thought as he grinned, it was kinda hot.   
“It must have been a good practice match today. Kuroo, you look happy.”   
He looked across the aisle to Yamamoto. “Eh? Do I?”  
Lev leaned over the seat behind him. “Yeah, like the cat that ate the canary.”  
Kuroo just let the smug grin sit on his face as he turned to watch out the window. _Nah,_ he thought, _more like the cat that kissed the crow._

He couldn't stop the snicker.


End file.
